Jan 7, 2009 ... A U.S. District Court judge will .... compare to Harry Potter in its ability to attract
reluctant ... pragmatism, not rigid ideology," the former first lady.
English A compilation of newsTicker articles and exercises
January, 2009
CONTENTS
BOARDING-SCHOOL BULLIES ........................................... 3 HITLER DENIED BIRTHDAY CAKE ...................................... 5 HOME SCHOOLING CLIMBING .......................................... 7 TIT FOR TAT IN TIGER ATTACK......................................... 9 SO HELP ME GOD ......................................................... 11 SPIDEY AND THE PREZ .................................................. 13 KIDS GIVING UP MEAT .................................................. 15 PRINCE HARRY CRITICIZED ........................................... 17 'WIMPY KID' NEW HARRY POTTER ................................... 19 SMART POWER ............................................................. 21 CLOAK OF INVISIBILITY ................................................ 23 FEW VICTIMS SEEK VISAS ............................................. 25 OATH SITE BUILT BY SLAVES ......................................... 27 OBAMA'S CALL TO SERVICE ........................................... 29 NO 'R AND R' IN TIJUANA .............................................. 31
newsLetter - 2
07/01/2009
BOARDING-SCHOOL BULLIES Lawsuit highlights exclusive academy A federal lawsuit has offered a glimpse into how bullying can even be found in an affluent Hartford suburb at one of the nation's most selective, all-girls boarding schools. Tatum Bass was allegedly harassed for months at the exclusive Miss Porter's School until doctors finally had to intervene. The bullying came at the hands of a group of girls who called themselves "Oprichniki," a notorious Russian attack squad of a 16th-century czar. According to the lawsuit, the girls called Bass "retarded" because she has attention-deficit disorder and bullied her in front of hundreds of people at a school dance, in classes, around campus, in text messages and online on the Facebook social networking site. Miss Porter's School has a tuition of nearly $43,000 and an A-list of socialites, diplomats, artists and public servants among its graduates, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Gloria Vanderbilt. The lawsuit names the 165-year-old school and its headmaster, Katherine Windsor, as defendants. Windsor said in a written statement that she believes that "a comprehensive hearing of the facts will result in the exoneration of our school." newsLetter - 3
EXERCISE Define the following words as used in the article about Miss Porter's School. Use a dictionary if you need help, but use your own words to explain the meaning. 1. glimpse 2. boarding school 3. A-list 4. hearing 5. socialites
newsLetter - 4
08/01/2009
HITLER DENIED BIRTHDAY CAKE Reaction to the name of a 3-year-old boy The father of 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell, denied a birthday cake with the child's full name on it by one New Jersey supermarket, is asking for a little tolerance Heath Campbell and his wife, Deborah, are upset with the decision made by the nearby ShopRite, and with an outpouring of angry Internet postings in response to a local newspaper article about the cake. Heath Campbell, 35, said that people should look forward, not back, and accept change. "They need to accept a name. A name's a name. The kid isn't going to grow up and do what (Hitler) did," he said. The Campbells' other two children also have unusual names: JoyceLynn Aryan Nation and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie. Heath Campbell said he named his son after Adolf Hitler because he liked the name and because "no one else in the world would have that name." After ShopRite refused the request for the cake as inappropriate, the Campbells got a cake decorated at a Wal-Mart in Pennsylvania, Deborah Campbell said.
newsLetter - 5
EXERCISE Answer the following questions about Adolf Hitler and the birthday cake using your own words and complete sentences. 1. Who is the Adolf Hitler that the article refers to? 2. Why was ShopRite?
he
denied
a
birthday
cake
by
3. Why were his parents upset by public reactions to the story? 4. Why do you think Mr. Campbell named his son Adolf Hitler? 5. Do you think ShopRite was correct in denying the boy his cake? Explain your answer.
newsLetter - 6
09/01/2009
HOME SCHOOLING CLIMBING Survey finds broader reasons for trend The ranks of America's home-schooled children continue to climb, and new research suggests broader reasons for the appeal. The number of homeschooled kids hit 1.5 million in 2007, up 74% since 1999 and 36% since 2003. Traditionally, the biggest motivations for parents to teach their children at home have been moral or religious reasons, and that remains a top pick when parents are asked to explain their choice. But the study found a growing interest in a "non-traditional approach," by parents dubbed "unschoolers," who regard standard methods and testing as counterproductive to a quality education. "We wanted to identify the parents who are part of the 'unschooling' movement," Gail Mulligan of the Department of Education said, adding that while homeschoolers generally follow standard curriculum and grading systems, "unschoolers" create their own systems. Robert Kunzman, an associate professor at Indiana University's School of Education, said the study suggests the trend is expanding beyond conservative Christian groups, and that anecdotal evidence indicates many parents want their kids to learn at their own pace. newsLetter - 7
EXERCISE Answer the following questions about the continuing rise of home schooing using your own words and complete sentences. 1. What is 'home schooling'? 2. What is the main reason that people homeschool their children? 3. What is the emerging reason that the study has found? 4. What is the difference schoolers' and 'unschoolers'?
between
'home-
5. Would you like to be home-schooled? Explain your answer.
newsLetter - 8
12/01/2009
TIT FOR TAT IN TIGER ATTACK Victims sue zoo, zoo sues victim Officials want a survivor of a tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo to reimburse the city more than $75,000 for his medical treatmcash settlement the victim may receive from the lawsuit he filed against the Police Department and the zoo. Kulbir Dhaliwal, who was 23 at the time of the attacks, suffered deep cuts and bites and underwent surgery to repair damage to his knees, according to a claim he and his brother Paul filed last spring. The 243-pound Siberian tiger, named Tatiana, escaped from its enclosure, seriously injuring the brothers and killing their friend, 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. of San Jose, before police shot and killed the animal. Sousa's parents have also filed a wrongful death suit in San Francisco Superior Court alleging that zoo officials ignored employee warnings that the wall was not tall enough. The parents' attorney said the family hopes a settlement can be reached with the city.
newsLetter - 9
EXERCISE Find words from the article which match the definitions listed below. Then use the words you found in the article to write original sentences of your own. 1. money received for damages 2. did not respond to, paid no attention 3. cage, pen, cell 4. pay back, return money 5. mutual disagreement, dispute between two parties
newsLetter - 10
13/01/2009
SO HELP ME GOD Oath of office in the spotlight A George Washington myth bites the dust: There's no eyewitness documentation he ever adde "So help me God" when he took the oath of office as the first president of the United States. The oath is in the news now that California atheist activist Michael Newdow is suing to drive all mention of God out of Barack Obama's inauguration Jan. 20. A U.S. District Court judge will hear the case next week. Although it had been commonly accepted that Washington set this precedent, experts at the Library of Congress now say otherwise. Beth Hahn, historical editor for the U.S. Senate Historical Office, concurs. "The first eyewitness documentation of a president saying 'So help me God' is an account of Chester Arthur's Sept. 22, 1881, inauguration in the New York Times," she said. Blessings by clergy have been part of inaugurations for more than two centuries without much attention, but Newdow wants it all halted. His suit, filed with the American Humanist Association, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Atheist Alliance International and others, wants God out of the oath, and the invocation and benediction eliminated. newsLetter - 11
EXERCISE Answer the following questions about the presidential oath of office using your own words and complete sentences. 1. What myth about George Washington does the article discuss? 2. Why is the oath in the news recently? 3. When was the use of the phrase 'so help me God' in an inauguration first recorded? 4. Why do you think Mr. Newdow wants the phrase excluded at Obama's swearing in? 5. Do you think the phrase should be included in the ceremony? Explain your answer
newsLetter - 12
14/01/2009
SPIDEY AND THE PREZ Obama featured in Spider-Man comic Marvel Comics has just released a special issue of the Amazing SpiderMan with Barack Obama depicte d on the cover. Inside are five pages of the two teaming up and even a fist-bump between Spidey and the new president. "It was a natural after we learned the new president is a Spider-Man fan," says Marvel editor in chief Joe Quesada about reports that Obama once collected Spider-Man comics. "We thought, 'Fantastic! We have a comic-book geek in the White House.' " Presidents have been supporting characters in comics before: During World War II, superheroes fought Hitler as Franklin D. Roosevelt cheered them on. John F. Kennedy appeared in Action Comics #309 in 1963, when he helped protect Clark Kent's secret identity. "If I can't trust the president of the United States, who can I trust?" Superman tells Kennedy. "We do our best to be completely non-partisan and treat presidents with respect," Quesada says. "This is not so much a pro-Obama statement but a tip of the hat to having a Spider-Man fan in the White House." newsLetter - 13
EXERCISE Find words from the article which match the definitions listed below. Then use the words you found in the article to write original sentences of your own. 1. working together, joining forces 2. unbiased, neutral 3. shown, portrayed 4. sign of respect, acknowledgment 5. showed support for, rooted for
newsLetter - 14
15/01/2009
KIDS GIVING UP MEAT Animal welfare, not health, main cause The Sam Silverman is co-captain of his high school football team and is accustomed to bruising collisions. But that's nothing compared with the abuse he gets for being a vegetarian. "I get a lot of flak for it in the locker room," said the 16-year-old junior at Westborough High School in Massachusetts. Silverman may feel like a vegetable vendor at a butchers' convention, but about 367,000 other kids are in the same boat, according to a recent study that provides the government's first estimate of how many children avoid meat. That's about 1 in 200. Anecdotally, adolescent vegetarianism seems to be rising, thanks in part, to YouTube animal slaughter videos that shock the developing sensibilities of many U.S. children. But there isn't enough long-term data to prove that, according to government researchers. Vegetarians say it's animal welfare, not health, that most often causes kids to stop eating meat. "Compassion for animals is the major, major reason," said Richard Schwartz, president of Jewish Vegetarians of North America.
newsLetter - 15
EXERCISE Answer the following questions about teenage vegetarianism using your own words and complete sentences. 1. What do Sam Silverman's teammates think about the fact that he is a vegetarian? 2. Why do you think they react this way? 3. Why does vegetarianism seem to be on the rise among teens? 4. What does Mr. Schwartz say is the main reason kids become vegetarians? 5. Are you a vegetarian? Have you ever considered becoming one? Do you think you could live happily without eating meat? Explain your answer.
newsLetter - 16
16/01/2009
PRINCE HARRY CRITICIZED Video captures racist remarks Lawmakers, Muslim groups and the Pakistani public have criticized Prince Harry after a British newspaper published video footage of him using offensive and racist language. Harry, third in line to the British throne, issued an apology after the News of The World reported that he had used offensive terms to refer to people from Pakistan and people of Arab descent. Britain's opposition Conservative Party leader David Cameron said Harry's comments undermined work to root out racism from the country's armed forces. "It is obviously a completely unacceptable thing to say," Cameron told the BBC. Harry made the remarks in 2006 during training exercises with fellow military cadets. Captured on video, he refers to one colleague as "our little paki friend" and another as a "raghead." Iftikhar Raja told the BBC one cadet was his nephew Ahmed Raza Khan, who received an award in 2006 from Queen Elizabeth II as the best overseas officer cadet. "We expect better from our Royal Family," Raja said. newsLetter - 17
EXERCISE Define the following words as used in the article about Prince Harrys latest public gaffe. Use a dictionary if you need help, but use your own words to explain the meaning. Then, see if you can use the words in sentences of your own. 1. footage 2. issued 3. undermined 4. root out 5. fellow
newsLetter - 18
19/01/2009
'WIMPY KID' NEW HARRY POTTER A new gateway for 'reluctant' readers Greg Heffley is a wisecracking middleschooler with an oversized head, a big nose, and only three strands of hair, but he is also the star of Jeff Kinney's new book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw. This is the third book in a series, translated into 28 languages, that educators and parents compare to Harry Potter in its ability to attract reluctant readers. The books are designed to look as if written and illustrated by cartoon character Greg. "I didn't start out by trying to turn non-readers into readers," Kinney says. He first heard the term "reluctant reader" in letters from parents and teachers, but has since learned the issue is huge, especially among boys. "Reluctant readers are just kids who have so many entertainment options — the Internet, television, video games — they don't see the value of reading," he says. Pat Scales, president of the Association for Library Service to Children, says Kinney's series is "terrific at dealing with the everyday life of middle-schoolers in a funny way. Kids that age need humor in their lives."
newsLetter - 19
EXERCISE Answer the following questions about the new book series that is exciting young readers. Make sure to use your own words and complete sentences. 1. Who is the 'wimpy kid'? 2. What is a 'reluctant reader'? 3. Why does Mr.Kinney think kids today avoid reading for pleasure? 4. Why does Ms. Scales think the series is so popular with young readers? 5. Do you like to read in your free time, or do you prefer other activities? Explain your answer.
newsLetter - 20
20/01/2009
SMART POWER Clinton looks to diplomacy A Hillary Rodham Clinton has vowed to make "diplomacy the vanguard of our foreign policy" as Barack O bama's secretary of State. "I believe that American leadership has been wanting, but is still wanted," she told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, adding, "We must use what has been called 'smart power,' the full range of tools at our disposal — diplomatic, economic, military, political, legal and cultural." Sen. John Kerry, who took over from Vice President-elect Joe Biden as foreign relations chairman, said Clinton "will take office on a first name basis with numerous heads of state," and added, "Her presence overseas will send a strong signal immediately that America is back." Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, the ranking Republican, called Clinton "the epitome of a big-leaguer," who will improve the American image abroad. In remarks that ran the gamut of foreign policy challenges, Clinton made clear she wanted to do things differently than the Bush administration. "Foreign policy must be based on a marriage of principles and pragmatism, not rigid ideology," the former first lady said. "On facts and evidence, not emotion or prejudice."
newsLetter - 21
EXERCISE Define the following words or phrases as used in the article about Hillary Clinton. Use a dictionary if you need help, but use your own words to explain the meaning. 1. smart power 2. vanguard 3. wanting 4. on a first name basis 5. big-leaguer
newsLetter - 22
21/01/2009
CLOAK OF INVISIBILITY Fact closing in on fiction They can't match Harry Potter yet, but scientists are moving closer to creating a real cloak of invisibility. Researchers at Duke University, who developed a material that can "cloak" an item from detection by microwaves, report that they have expanded the number of wavelengths they can block. In 2006 the team reported they had developed so-called meta-materials that could deflect microwaves around a three-dimensional object, essentially making it invisible to the waves. The system works like a mirage, where heat causes the bending of light rays and cloaks the road ahead behind an image of the sky. The researchers report in the journal Science that they have developed more types of meta-materials to cloak objects from an increasing range of electromagnetic waves. "The new device can cloak a much wider spectrum of waves — nearly limitless — and will scale far more easily to infrared and visible light," senior researcher David R. Smith said in a statement.
newsLetter - 23
EXERCISE Harry Potter already has a cloak of invisibility, and the scientists at Duke University appear to be on their way to developing one for real. What would you do if you had your own cloak of invisibility? Write a short story to finish the one that we have begun below. "All my hard work had paid off, and my cloak of invisibility was finally working perfectly! Now, I knew what I was going to do…
newsLetter - 24
22/01/2009
FEW VICTIMS SEEK VISAS Distrust of police, fear of retaliation to blame In the eight years since Congress allowed 5,000 special visas annually for humantrafficking victims to remain in the US, immigration officials have issued fewer than 1,500, even though the federal government estimates that 14,500 to 17,500 men, women and children are smuggled into the U.S. each year and forced into illegal labor. The special permits, called the T visa, protect them from deportation and allow them to remain in the country and eventually seek citizenship. But victims must cooperate with police to get the visa, and many distrust law enforcement authorities. They also can't navigate the legal and immigration systems or fear former captors will retaliate against family in their home countries if they work with the U.S. government, advocacy groups and U.S. authorities say. "People who have been in this situation are so traumatized and beaten up that it's hard to have the strength to apply" for the visa, says Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., who co-sponsored the bill establishing it.
newsLetter - 25
EXERCISE The T visa program was designed to help solve a very serious problem, but so far the idea hasn't been very effective. Answer the following questions about the issue using your own words and complete sentences. 1. What is a T visa? 2. Who were T visas designed to help? 3. Why hasn't the program been as effective as officials hoped? 4. Why do you think many trafficking victims distrust the police? 5. Can you think of any ideas that might make more people take advantage of the program?
newsLetter - 26
23/01/2009
OATH SITE BUILT BY SLAVES U.S. Capitol has ironic history Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president on the west steps of the Capitol, a building that symbolizes freedom but was erected by those who had none, hundreds of Afri canAmerican slaves. When the Capitol was erected in the late 1700s, using slaves to build what was nicknamed "The Temple of Liberty" didn't seem strange, says Ira Berlin, a University of Maryland expert on slavery. At that time, "you couldn't do anything without slaves being involved in one way or another," he says. The sections built with slaves' help have largely vanished, due to a fire set by British troops in 1814, but the handiwork of slaves is still visible in the Capitol's Statuary Hall, where the polished marble was quarried by African Americans rented from local slave owners. "When slaves were helping to build the Capitol and the White House … there might have been a flutter of hope that someday America would live out the true meaning of its creation," says former congressman J.C. Watts, who has led efforts to commemorate the Capitol's enslaved workers. Now, Watts says, "it has happened." newsLetter - 27
EXERCISE Answer the following questions about the history behind the building of the U.S. Capitol using your own words and complete sentences. 1. What is the meaning of the word 'ironic'? 2. In what way is the Capitol's history ironic? 3. Why would people of that era not see the irony of the situation? 4. Where can one still see evidence of the slaves' contribution to the construction of the Capitol? 5. Why does former congressman Watts say that the building now lives up to the true meaning of its creation?
newsLetter - 28
26/01/2009
OBAMA'S CALL TO SERVICE Millions turn out in honor to King At least a million Americans answered Barack Obama's call to service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on the eve of his inauguration, and as the nation's first African-American president took office, the dream of the civil rights leader seemed closer to reality. The nationwide turnout was the biggest since Congress declared the federal holiday a day of community service in 1994, organizers said. The federal Corporation for National and Community Service said there were 12,100 projects involving at least 1 million people, double last year. "Obama is all about change. That's what King was all about," said Melissa Cuff, 32, as she accepted canned food for the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington. And in Chicago, Susan Ifergan helped furnish apartments for Iraqi refugee families. Ifergan, 56, said Obama's call to service has increased her community activism. "It's a different kind of democracy that he's inspired," she said. "There are different races and people with different job and social statuses out here helping," said volunteer Patrina Johnson. "It's a combination of everyone, which is what King stood for." newsLetter - 29
EXERCISE Find Define the following words as used in the article about this years Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. Use a dictionary if you need help, but use your own words to explain the meaning. 1. call 2. turn out 3. took office 4. community activism 5. stood for
newsLetter - 30
27/01/2009
NO 'R AND R' IN TIJUANA Mexico off-limits to U.S. Marines Citing a wave of violence and murder in Mexico, the commanding officer of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Pendleton has made the popular military "R and R" destinations of Tijuana and nearby beaches effectively off-limits for his Marines. The order by Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland restricts travel into Mexico by the 44,000 members of the unit, many of whom have had multiple tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat zones. Tijuana has long been a popular attraction for Californians, offering cheap prices and tourist-oriented businesses for both civilians and military personnel. But the city has been hit particularly hard by the drug violence that has spread across Mexico. Helland's directive requires approval from a lieutenant colonel or higher-ranking officer for travel across the border, and Marines must first complete anti-terrorism training, receive a military security briefing and "use the buddy system" by traveling with a companion.
newsLetter - 31
EXERCISE Correct the following sentences about the new travel restrictions on U.S. Marines. Each one contains either a factual or grammatical error. 1. 'R and retreat'.
R'
stands
for
'reconnaissance
and
2. Violence are increasing in Mexico. 3. Only Marines who have served in combat zones may visit Tijuana. 4. Like an officer, Lt. Gen. Helland is responsible for his troops' safety. 5. Marines must to receive permission before traveling.
newsLetter - 32
